Tuesday Morning
As for our Tuesday, it began bright and early… well, really dark and early, as I was up at 5 a.m. to get some work in before the boys were awake for the day. I worked on a recipe post for an upcoming collaboration and submitted my blog post draft along with all of my social media shares before checking my email and making myself breakfast.
Ryan actually went into the office yesterday (he is still working from home 99 percent of the time) and I said goodbye to him as I sipped my snickerdoodle smoothie. Chase and Ryder were up before Rhett and I heard them playing in their room so I checked on the big kids and told them they could come downstairs for breakfast once they were dressed. (They are not allowed to come out of their room in the morning until their Hatch Light turns green or Mom or Dad come to get them — a rule we implemented when they started to come downstairs at 6:15 a.m. Ooph!) As they got dressed, I went into Rhett’s room and nursed him before getting him dressed and making him a scrambled egg with cottage cheese for breakfast.
(Yes, his high chair desperately needs to be washed after this weekend’s birthday fun!)
Kindergarten drop off happens just before 8 a.m. which means our mornings FLY BY these days. I’m used to a 9:15 a.m. preschool start so we have to really get movin’ in the morning! I feel a little bad because Chase and Ryder love play time in the morning for an hour or two and yesterday was the first day Chase said, “Mom, kindergarten is too long.”
We talked it though and I realized his feelings stemmed mostly from feeling a little left out of our home playtime and anything we do without him while he’s in school. He’s started saying, “Don’t do anything without me,” on our car rides to school so I’m trying my best to fill Chase’s after school time with family fun and emphasize how much his brothers, Ryan and I miss him when he’s at school. I think once Ryder starts preschool in a week Chase will probably feel a little better, too, although I’m not going to lie, I’m sweatin’ Ryder’s first day of preschool drop off. He’s SO into Chase and not having Chase at the same preschool is something he’s never experienced so my fingers are already crossed that all goes well.
After kindergarten drop off, we headed home and went for a walk to our favorite neighborhood park before Rhett’s morning nap.
Rhett was living his best life with big brother Ryder in the stroller next to him! He is so used to Chase and Ryder opting for their bikes or Power Wheels Jeep on our walks these days that whenever someone sits next to him in the stroller he gets so excited! I think it makes him feel like one of the big kids which is basically his whole goal in life at this point.
By the time we made it home, Rhett was ready for his nap and snoozed away while Ryder and I did a bunch of puzzles and read a few of the books we picked up from the library on Monday. Ryder was content to play with his blocks and trains for a bit so I made us lunch and then we ate together before Ryder had quiet time in his room for an hour.
My lunch looked like leftover Instant Pot chicken soup with whole wheat crackers on the side.
Afternoon + Evening
During Ryder’s quiet time, I got a bit of work done before Rhett was up and ready for action. Ryder joined us shortly after Rhett awoke and we piled back into the car to pick up Chase from school. Ya know everything I wrote above about Chase feeling left out when he goes to school? Well, wouldn’t you know yesterday after school he asked me to drop him off early tomorrow morning so he could have more time to play with his friends before the bell rings. Kid emotions — they’re all over the place, I’m tellin’ ya.
I figured Chase and Ryder would be psyched when I told them our after-school plans involved heading off to a new-to-us park located near a little pond with a walking trail. The boys were way more interested in the turtles and creature-hunting than the playground at first but eventually came back around and played on the monkey bars and slides for a bit.
Even Rhett got into searching for the turtles!
It was H-O-T outside but the boys didn’t seem to mind and happily played for quite a while before we headed home for some downtime before dinner.
I tried my best to get Rhett to take an afternoon nap but he wasn’t having it. His morning nap was extra long and sometime he’ll opt to just roll around in his crib for 40 minutes or so rather than sleep in the afternoons and that’s exactly what he did yesterday. I took full advantage of his crib time and whipped up dinner for our crew while Ryder and Chase played with magnetic tiles. (Those things are worth their weight in gold, I swear.)
As I was making grilled cheese for the boys to serve with carrots and nectarine slices, I thought their sandwiches looked pretty darn good and made the same thing for me and Ryan. On the side, I microwaved two Daily Harvest bowls for us to enjoy so vegetables weren’t completely neglected. (Friendly reminder that you may use my code pbfingers to receive $25 off 9 items, $30 off 14 items, or $40 off 24 items if you’re interested in trying Daily Harvest! I’ve been a fan for years!)
Once everyone was fed, I got the boys into the bath and then we started on stories which Ryan joined in on once he arrived home from work. As Ryan wrapped up the big kids’ bedtime, I nursed Rhett and put him down for the night as well. With all the boys in bed, we spent the rest of the evening cleaning up around the house before climbing in bed and reading. I recently began reading Verity and have heard that it’s unbelievably gripping but also dark and disturbing (especially for mothers who may have struggled with loss in some way) so please be warned if it’s something you look into reading as well. I haven’t reached any parts that have left me alarmed yet so I cannot personally speak to that at this point.
And I think that catches us up! Our plans for the morning include the usual kindergarten drop off and then Ryder and I have Meet the Teacher Day at his preschool. He seems excited and I’m hoping this will help ease him into his new class before it begins next week. Enjoy your Wednesday, my friends!
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Hi Julie! What time do you Typically go to sleep at to wake at 5 AM?? So impressed at how you were able to do so much so well with three little kiddos!! I find myself staying up super late just trying to make ends meet, and then of course I’m having to wake up a lot earlier now with kids back in school, so would love any tips that you have! Also any advice on what you prep the night before to make the morning smoother?! I find it hard enough just to get everyone fed and out the door LOL
Hi Kit! It varies but we usually get in bed really early and read and then I would say I fall asleep by 10ish most nights. It varies but that’s usually my goal! — and know that sometimes I am up later trying to get stuff done, too! It’s a goal but not always a reality. Haha! As for tips for making mornings easier, we’ve made it so the big kids are responsible for getting themselves dressed and brushing their teeth before they can come out of their room and while they do this, I usually make their lunches and feed Rhett. Do you have a Hatch light or a light that changes color in the mornings? That has helped us a LOT because you can change the colors of the light from your phone and we’ve taught the kids that “green” means they can come out of their rooms in the morning but only if they’re dressed and their teeth are brushed.
Thank you for mentioning that about that book! I really like Colleen Hoover and was thinking of reading it, but I’m currently pregnant and can only handle nice, light books!
How do you get Ryder to stay in his room for a hour for quiet time?
Hi Aleisha! Whether Ryder is napping or having quiet time, I treat it the same, so he knows he has to stay in his bed until I come get him but he can choose some books or toys to bring into his bed with him. Sometimes he’ll fall asleep (3x a week or so) and other times he just plays with his toys or looks at his books. If I can tell he definitely won’t sleep and is way more energetic than usual, I’ll sometimes cut quiet time short but he’s typically pretty good about it and seems to really de better with a reset/rest.